Kangaroo Pro is a $199 Windows 10 PC with a little less portability, a lot more ports

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08/31 10:00

InFocus today debuted the Kangaroo Mobile Desktop Pro, a $199 Windows 10 portable PC that is meant to be much more capable than the original Kangaroo. The Kangaroo Pro is available on Newegg, Amazon, and InFocusDirect.com now, and will go on sale at the Microsoft Store later this month.

When the Kangaroo debuted in October 2015, we explained that the term “mobile desktop” sounded like an oxymoron, but that it really is the best description. The Kangaroos are basically desktop PC towers shrunk down to the size of a phablet sans screen. Just like any desktop, you’ll still need to connect a mouse, keyboard, and monitor.

The Kangaroo Pro comes with the new Dock Pro, which features one USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, and Ethernet ports, as well as a 2.5-inch hard drive bay and an audio port. The original Kangaroo Dock naturally didn’t include as much, so with the Pro you’re essentially getting a VGA port, another USB 2.0 port, an Ethernet port, a 2.5-inch hard drive bay, and an audio port.

The trade-off? The Kangaroo Pro is double the price, and more than twice as thick.

There’s one port I was particularly excited about. In my hands-on with the Kangaroo, I said:

The audio port is also nice to have. Even though the sound works great over HDMI, sometimes you just need headphones.

The addition of VGA isn’t something I personally want, but I do see the appeal. It essentially means the Kangaroo Pro can now be hooked up to almost any PC monitor or projector. The hard drive bay (you have to open the bottom plate) essentially translates to serious storage options.

InFocus envisions the Kangaroo Pro being used as an on-the-go personal PC, a presentation device, a home theater PC, a mini home server, or just an enthusiast device. “With Kangaroo Pro, we’ve created a powerful PC in a completely new form factor that builds on the success of the Kangaroo PC,” Lawrence Yen, director of Kangaroo product marketing, said in a statement. Yeah, “completely new form factor” is definitely a stretch.

iOS users will be happy to learn that the OSLinx app, which lets you use your Kangaroo with an iPad, has been updated to support iPhones as well. The app works both the Kangaroo and Kangaroo Pro.

For reference, here are the full specs for the Kangaroo Pro:

Again, the base Kangaroo device is the same. You’re really just paying the extra $100 for the new Dock Pro.

If you don’t care about all the extra ports, go with the Kangaroo. If you absolutely need Ethernet, or hard drive storage, or an audio port, the Kangaroo Pro is worth considering.

You should keep in mind that at $199, however, you may want to shell out a bit more and get a cheap Windows 10 laptop. But if you really want a “mobile desktop,” then look no further.

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